Their Shot in Hell
by thatpersonwhoisthatperson
Summary: Tony and Pepper's relationship is accidentally revealed to the general public, and the couple is thrust into dealing with the sudden uproar this brings. Pepperony, post-IM2.


**A/N: Written for nani1986 (roguelane) for the its_always_been fanwork exchange on LJ!**

**Thank you to this-anticute (pseudonymosity) for the beta!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the plot. Thanks to episodes of Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond for some inspiration for some parts.  
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**Enjoy! :)**

Pepper clucked her tongue at the irritating wave of reporters that still, after God knows how many years and press conferences like this one, did not know the meaning of "no questions." Somehow, Tony kept on his toes and gave exceedingly witty responses to some of the more preposterous questions he was receiving. Pepper had lost count of the number of times she glanced at her watch.

It was a beautiful watch, she decided as she pursed her lips, daydreaming again. It was the one thing she'd wanted for her birthday and, surprising to her, Tony had remembered – albeit a couple days late. She smiled. She gave him credit for trying.

Finally she couldn't take it anymore. There were other important things that Tony had to address today that she couldn't leave hanging. Her heels clicked decisively as she walked over to the podium, and while the reporters were in a commotion about a particular question that oh-so-definitely needed answering, tapped him on the shoulder and motioned with her hands for him to wrap it up.

"But Pepper," he whined, "nobody's wondered about what I do in the workshop all day in ages."

"You're not telling them anything, what's the difference?"

The left side of his lip quirked upwards. "It's fun."

The redhead raised her eyebrows. "They're certainly riled up."

"Exactly, which is why I think now is a good time to break up the pointless babble and answer their question." As he moved to wave his hand at the mob of reporters and cameras and flashes, his elbow knocked the microphone and it veered away from its original position. "Just a few more. Please?" he asked, putting his hands on her shoulders. She broke away before anyone had time to snap a picture of them in that position – they were still incognito.

Pepper clucked her tongue for the umpteenth time today. "Fine, but only because I love you."

Everything halted. Pepper could feel the palpable clicks from the cameras at 95 miles a minute and felt very exposed. Tony stared at her with wide eyes.

"What did you say?" Tony asked her in a low murmur, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

Pepper's mouth opened like she wanted to say something, but couldn't. "…Fine. It's fine. I said it's fine." As much as she tried, she didn't sound confident in that respect.

She was half aware of the press exploding with questions about their relationship status. Tony answered them all with an onslaught of "yes's." But they didn't really need the confirmation, as Pepper's unplanned admission was proof enough.

It dawned on Pepper that ever since their relationship had begun, neither one of them had ever said those three words. Together. In the same sentence. And it had to be _here_, of all places.

* * *

><p>They managed to push past the sea of reporters without getting blind or deaf, and each slammed their car doors shut, panting.<p>

Happy immediately drove off. The sound of the microphones slamming the car was like heavy rain. Pepper dropped her head to her hands.

Tony was leaning back in his seat, grinning at her. Unlike the look he had given her following her admission back in the conference room, this one was more smug.

"What's so funny?" she muttered, pointing an accusatory finger towards his chest.

"Nothing," he replied, holding up his hands. "Nothing at all. It's just…you_ like_ me." The smug look came back.

"Please. I said a lot more than…that. And I may not have meant to say it right here right now, but…I _meant_ it, you know." Pepper turned away and faced the window. She didn't mean to be so harsh, but right now, a little admission from Tony in return wouldn't hurt.

Tony sighed. "Pep…" He scooted closer. "…I _know_. I know that."

He thought about it. It certainly felt nice to hear. But he knew she was expecting a similar…confession…from him. He had constantly shied away from those three words and their implications, mainly because he'd never had a strong handle on voicing his emotions, and he was afraid he could go too far and fuck things up. _As usual_, he thought sourly.

For a minute or two, he struggled to find words, but Pepper decided to turn around and squeeze his hand, smiling slightly hesitantly.

They arrived home. Not more than six minutes later, Rhodey showed up at the house, looking rather out of breath. He'd driven to the mansion to drop off some military reports, but was greeted by a mob of paparazzi bobbing their cameras, all firing questions rapidly. The number of times he'd said "no comment" was innumerable.

"They're like wild animals out there, you know," Rhodey said in greeting as he walked in the door.

Pepper shook her head. "They're relentless." She sighed. "They know. About me and Tony."

Rhodey shrugged off his jacket and laughed. "I figured. Bet Tony couldn't keep his mouth shut, could he?"

"Nuh-uh. I was a good boy," Tony countered.

Rhodey's eyebrows rose comically. "You?" He pointed towards Pepper.

"Loud and clear," Tony added generously, grinning.

Pepper narrowed her eyes at him. "It was an accident," she defended.

Rhodey snickered. "Nice."

"Not really, no. Have you seen the tabloids? Already?" Pepper groaned.

"I'm sure they're not _that_ bad," Rhodey replied.

"Yet," she mumbled under her breath.

When Rhodey left, Pepper all but flopped down on the couch while Tony fished out sodas from the fridge.

"Why did I let this happen?" Pepper groaned into the couch pillow. Tony placed his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to provide comfort.

"Not your fault," he said, glancing at his sheets of upgrades for Jarvis's security system that lay on the coffee table. "Actually, it was like a combined effort. You got the ball rolling and I sealed the deal. So…yeah."

"Doesn't this faze you?"

Of course it did. Tony knew that revealing his relationship with Pepper meant that she was susceptible to be held hostage or pursued in general by both Tony Stark's and Iron Man's enemies. Choosing not to voice these concerns, he said instead, "We probably could've benefited from more time under the radar, but there's nothing we can do about it now, right?" He massaged her shoulders. "You're tense."

She arched her back, sighing. "I wish I didn't say anything. I wish I kept us a secret."

Tony shrugged. "It was bound to happen sooner or later, Potts. With me it's kind of unavoidable."

She rolled her eyes by default. "You're probably right. Besides, we shouldn't busy ourselves to care what the press says about us, anyway."

Even as Pepper said this, she bit her lip because she knew that a part of her _did_ care what they thought. She didn't want to lose respect. One of her biggest fears was being categorized as one of Tony Stark's many irrevocable flings. Her mouth twisted. She was going to have to get used to the rumors for a while.

"What's the worst people can say, honestly?" Tony asked aloud, popping the tab on his soda. "We're the cutest couple out there." He waggled his eyebrows proudly.

Pepper snickered, trying not to spit out her drink.

* * *

><p>"Miss Potts."<p>

Pepper looked up, eyeing the jittery accountant wearily. "Yes?"

"I have something that came for you," she announced, walking forward. Pepper reached out and took the manila envelope from her. The accountant scurried from the room. Pepper tilted her head in confusion. Opening the folder, she scanned a few lines and she gaped.

… _We, as hard-working employees of SIA, find it unfair that Miss Potts could be receiving certain benefits from being in a romantic relationship with Mr. Stark, and aren't comfortable with the fact that this establishment is permitted here simply because Mr. Stark has his name on the side of the building…_

"What's that?" Tony asked, peering over her shoulder. Pepper jumped.

"When did you get here?"

"Like two minutes ago. You were so absorbed in your boring, hum-drum company files that you didn't even notice. Lemme see those -"

Pepper stuffed the ludicrous papers back in their folder. "It's better that you don't," she told him, shaking her head. "They'd bore you to tears."

He frowned at her for a moment. "Have I ever told you you're a terrible liar? Something's up." While he had her off guard he grabbed the folder, his frown deepening as he read.

"Well, shit," he said after the silence became palpable between them.

Pepper glared at nothing in particular. "Well? Now what?"

"I'll tell you what, this is bullshit. You're not getting any special benefits – for one, you wouldn't let me even think of it, and if you did, you'd sure as hell deserve it, you do the most work out of any of them."

Pepper listened to him ramble fondly of her, flustered. She never wanted any of this. For once, she didn't immediately know how to address the situation at hand. And Tony yelling at the board, however sweet it was, in his own Tony way, to stick up for her, was not going to make matters better. That would just make it seem like she could get away with anything.

Pepper had never been particularly fond of most of her colleagues, but she'd always felt as if she had their respect. Now she couldn't even count on that.

Trying to think rationally, Pepper said, "We'll bring it up during the board meeting tomorrow. It'll…it'll work out."

"…Alright." Tony was doubtful that that would change any of their opinions, but it was worth a shot. For all he knew they could hire a union if they didn't address it now.

* * *

><p>The day Pepper let those three words slip to Tony at the press conference on Friday was the day that the press became obsessed for information regarding their relationship. Everyone had the same old, same old, but they hungered for more.<p>

One reporter, having worked in technical plants globally for most of his life, went as far as to break into the grounds while Tony and Pepper were sitting in on the board meeting. Tony had shut down Jarvis for a few hours, leaving security exposed to hacking. This reporter wired his own camera into Jarvis's servers, tracking the footage with a wireless signal leading back to his apartment complex.

The video feed captured Tony and Pepper entering the living room after their meeting, sitting down, and talking.

"I don't think that really worked," Tony said.

"We told them the truth. What more could they want?"

"You're already in a high position; they'll just continue to think of you as a threat."

"A threat to what?"

"I don't know," Tony sighed, rubbing his forehead with the palm of his hand.

"They think I'm just…sleeping with you to get ahead, don't they. Oh god."

"Come on, we don't know that," he tried to assure her.

"It's an obvious assumption," Pepper shot back. She instantly regretted her retaliation, as hurt flashed through Tony's eyes before he settled on a stone cold look that she didn't particularly want to experience.

"I didn't mean it that way, I meant that it would be the most logical…no, I -."

"I know what you meant. And you're right," he cut her off.

"Tony…"

"No, you're right. I haven't kept the best…track record, so it is kind of obvious," Tony said. He liked to think of post-Afghanistan as being a clean slate, but it did hurt to think that Pepper still thought back to before. But he couldn't really blame her. He knew that she had focused on what was good about them rather than the "what ifs," and she probably still wondered about those "what ifs" sometimes.

Tony was determined not to mess up. He loved what he had with Pepper now, that they were in a relationship, and he would continue to make it better.

Pepper breathed shakily. "Yes, that's true. But _I_ wouldn't – I don't – jump to that anymore. Not from what you've shown me."

Tony's pride swelled and he smiled as Pepper leaned in to kiss him.

The video feed cut off seconds before. To an outsider, it looked like it was an argument, worse than what it actually was.

The video spread like a pandemic. While Tony flipped channels over cereal in the morning, he came across it and saw red.

Pepper walked into the room, and Tony could hear, over the accusing tone of the news anchors, the _click_ of her heels slow down as she took in the day's news reel. The headline rolling across the top claimed that their whole relationship was a scam, that they were seen in a "heated argument" and weren't together after all. He flipped to another channel. Here, the headline told that they had had a nasty break-up. After a few minutes more, Tony shut off the TV entirely.

"That's not…" Pepper sputtered, standing shock-still. "I don't believe this," she muttered darkly.

"I'd like to know who this guy is, because he's in for a piece of my mind…where did that tape come from. Jarvis?" Tony asked, leaning back to look towards the ceiling, a force of habit.

"I noticed some strange software at approximately 19:47 on February 11th. I dismissed it as I thought it was a part of your upgrade, sir," Jarvis replied promptly. Tony swore. He was doing that a lot lately, it seemed.

Pepper sighed and sat on the couch next to Tony, kicking off her heels to curl her feet up under her. She buried her face in his shoulder. "Why does it feel like the whole world's out to get us?"

She shouldn't let it bother her, but it did. It did because she had said, to just about the whole world, that she loved Tony, and now the paparazzi was spinning that in a negative direction. She had thought it would only be embarrassing because she hadn't meant to say it then and there, necessarily, and the world would know how she felt. Apparently, they didn't, and it angered her that she could probably never truly explain the depth of their relationship, and why and how much she loved Tony, to the world.

Thoughts of how she was going to refute this most recent claim filled her head.

Tony wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "I don't know. But we'll show them," he murmured as he stroked her hair, tucking pieces behind her ear. Pepper raised her head to look at him. She had no interest in dealing with the press today. She wanted to stay home – just her, Tony, and nothing else. Maybe ice cream.

"Let's stay here today," she said decisively, tangling her hand in his hair.

Tony stared back at her incredulously. "Who are you again?"

Pepper laughed. They both smiled at each other, happy, genuine smiles, and they could feel a pressure lift itself off of them as they kissed.

"Pepper," Tony began. Pepper 'hmm'ed, lifting her head again.

He opened his mouth like he wanted to say something, but instead pointed a finger at his arc reactor. Puzzled, Pepper cocked her head. He then tapped her on her chest repeatedly, right where her heart was. A smile unlike any other spread itself across her face, and she kissed him fully.

"Love you," he whispered against her skin. It felt good to finally say it.

Pepper craned into his touch. "I know."

They could deal with the world tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Pepper walked into the office the next day to find a magazine lying on her desk. She flipped through the contents until she came to a section with a picture of her and Tony. She recognized it as having been taken yesterday. They were in front of a family-owned gelato shop, both smiling the same happy smile. Tony's arm was around her waist and Pepper was leaning up to kiss his cheek. The headline read, "The one Hollywood couple who has a shot in hell."<p>

Pepper genuinely smiled at a tabloid for what seemed like the first time in years. She thought she would frame the picture.

End.


End file.
